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John Tyler: A Presidential Unit

John Tyler was the 10th US President, was born 29 March 1790 in Charles City County, Virginia. He was one of very few presidents whose was elected while in the Whig political party. John Tyler as William Henry Harrison’s Vice President and took over when Harrison died after only thirty-two days in office. John Tyler died 18 January 1862.

Political Party: Whig and Democratic-Republican
Years Served: 6 April 1841 – 3 March 1845
Vice President(s): did not have one
Name of his parents: John Tyler and Mary Marot Armistead
Wife’s name: Letitia Chrisitan (1790-1842), on March 29, 1813; Julia Gardiner (1820-1889), on June 26, 1844
Yearly Salary as President: $25,000.00
Physical Stature: 6 feet
State of Birth: Viriginia

“John Tyler was the son of a distinguished plantation family. He went to private school and William and Mary College. Upon graduation he studied law with his father. He entered politics and held state and national offices. He had been a Democratic-Republican but became a Whig. When Harrison died Tyler found himself without a party because he could not agree with the Whig legislators. He had opposing views about national parks, tariffs, federally financed projects and slavery. In spite of these differences he passed settlement laws, established trade with China, ended the second Seminole War, and paved the way for Texas’ annexation. Above all else, he established the presidency as a full-powered position when reached as a result of the president’s death. At the end of the term he retired from politics until 1860 when he voted in favor of Virginia’s leaving the Union at the state secession convention.”

2. What other political offices did John Tyler hold? [Answer: Member of Virginia House of Delegates, 1811-16; Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1816-21; Virginia State Legislator, 1823-25; Governor of Virginia, 1825-26; United States Senator, 1827-36; Vice President, 1841 (under W. H. Harrison); Member of Confederate States Congress, 1861-62.]

Of Note:

Tyler was the first president whose wife died while he was in office.

Tyler was the only president to hold office in the Confederacy.

Five years after leaving office, Tyler was so poor he was unable to pay a bill for $1.25 until he had sold his corn crop.

The of playing "Hail to the Chief" whenever a president appears at state functions was started by Tyler's second wife, Julia.

John Tyler’s second wife was younger than his three oldest children from his first marriage.

Tyler fathered his last child only 2 years before his death at the age of 71. This child, Pearl Tyler, lived until 1947.

In 1841 Tyler's cabinet resigned after he vetoed banking bills supported by the Whigs.